


We Weren't Always Good But We Had Chances

by SleepySpeedster



Series: Dispersed Time AU [1]
Category: Batman Beyond, DCU (Comics), The Flash (Comics)
Genre: (Thad's the one who is self destructive), Drabble, Ficlet, Gen, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Self-Destruction, Short, Smoking, Talking, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-20 20:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21062468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepySpeedster/pseuds/SleepySpeedster
Summary: Dispersed Time AUThis is a very short ficlet/drabble that takes place in an AU where Thad has suddenly found himself alive and displaced in Terry's time. I do suggest you read the notes at the beginning of the fic to get an overview of the AU."Alone on the rooftop Thad lights a cigarette. In contrast to all of the futuristic technology of the century it feels antiquated to see the familiar object lit between his fingers now."





	We Weren't Always Good But We Had Chances

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very short ficlet/drabble that takes place in an AU where Thad has suddenly found himself alive and displaced in the 25th Century. Thad sees this as a chance to somewhat redeem himself and goes about this by righting the wrongs of his family, the Thawne family, and attempts to get rid of them regardless of the cost of his own existence. In this AU Thad comes into contact with Terry McGinnis multiple times, both in a new costume and under a new alias and out of costume while attending Gotham University. This eventually leads to a temporary team up between Thad and Terry, eventually a friendship between the two young men who haven't always been good in their lives, and then maybe something more or unrequited feelings.
> 
> Also Thad and Terry are twenty-two/twenty-three in this short fic/drabble.  
________________________
> 
> *** Comments and your thoughts on this work are always appreciated. Give this work a kudos if you liked it. Comments and kudos help me to create more work and figure out what I should work on. Also if you have any questions about why I made the decisions I did I'd be happy to answer them!***
> 
> ****And if you're interested in this sort of thing just tell me and I've got a few more ideas****

Alone on the rooftop Thad lights a cigarette. In contrast to all of the futuristic technology of the century it feels antiquated to see the familiar object lit between his fingers now. He places the object that usually would have offended him between his lips and inhales as he looks out toward the city skyline. The shades of red and orange in the sky were fading into the coming night. People were home with their loved ones and here he was alone, and contemplating.

Thad lets out a hacking cough, his lungs burning against the damaging substance. He had never smoked before; never dreamed of it or even desired it, but stubbornly he inhaled the smoke. He had always treated his body with reverence because he couldn’t live without his speed, but now he wasn’t sure he could live.

“Never smoked before?” A familiar voice behind him says. Thad can hear the smirk on his lips, and could already see the twinkle in his blue eyes. Or so he hoped. After their last encounter it wouldn’t have surprised Thad if Terry wanted to avoided him outright or even hated him for lying about who he was.

“Y-yeah,” he coughs out as Terry takes a seat next to him.The two stare out at the cityscape dawn falling upon them and the city in silence. Thad could have said a thousand things to Terry in that instance, but instead he remained silent and raised the cigarette back to his lips.

But before he could take another sickening drag Terry plucks it from his fingers, and to Thad’s own surprise he takes an easy drag from the cigarette. He wasn’t coughing or wheezing like this was his first time around cigarettes. Instead, he easily blew smoke into the air.

“You smoke?” Even with how terrible he looked and felt as of late Thad still managed to feel genuine surprise when it came to Terry, he managed to feel a lot more things when it came to the bat. Since they met he hadn't laughed in so long, the exhilaration from their first encounter had set off a spark within him. From that first close call when Terry had almost subdued him things had changed within him. He just hadn't realized.

“Once upon a time.” Terry glances at Thad and smirks, “I wasn’t always…_good_. I ran with the wrong crowd, and went to juvie.” He explained, “But eventually I was given a chance despite that.” He had proved himself in a way he thought as he took an idle drag.Why wouldn’t he give Thad the same chance he once had? Forget what Tim or anyone else said about the speedster. This was his decision. Thad hadn't turned his back on him, and he hadn't let out his secret when the speedster easily could have. His identity was the easiest bargaining chp in his arsenal, but the thought had never crossed Thad's mind once, so why shouldn't he give him a chance now.

“Anyway this thing is better in my hands than yours.” He teases with that cocky smirk on his face, the one that Thad knew played on Terry’s lips when he had the upper hand or was out bantering a villain to frustration.

Thad wrinkled his nose at the implication of the remark. He knew McGinnis was calling him green, and inexperienced. The jerk. He was supposed to be the villain here between the two of them, not the victim in their odd relationship.

He huffs, “Well, regardless, don’t kill yourself at my expense. They're bad for your health, you know.” Thad plucks the cigarette back from Terry, flicks it onto the ground, and smothers it under foot with a hard stomp, “I doubt the city, Tim, or anyone else who cares about you would appreciate you ruining your own health.” He wouldn't have appreciated it either.

"What about yourself then?" Terry says looking to Thad with a sterner look in his eyes. He hadn't come here to berate Thad, but just the opposite since he had seen that empty look in his yellow eyes, "There are people who care about you, Thad." 

Thad wanted to argue. Who in this damned century cared about Thad Thawne, a villain and a murderer, but what Terry said next cut off his anger at the source, "We're friends at least, aren't we?" He asks and Thad's eyes widen at the statement.

What's left of the fading red sunset shines onto the pair of them, but Thad can only see Terry and the genuine look he has. They both may have had been given chances in their past, but Terry had used his well unlike him. They were similar, yet different. Thad looks from Terry to the smothered cigarette and mutters, "Yeah...we are." Meeting Terry had changed things, not only his finite plans, but himself as well. 

**Author's Note:**

> *** Comments and your thoughts on this work are always appreciated. Give this work a kudos if you liked it. Comments and kudos help me to create more work and figure out what I should work on.  
Also if you have any questions about why I made the decisions I did I'd be happy to answer them!***


End file.
